


The Engine with a Cuckoo Clock Heart

by Oscarsings



Category: Starlight Express - Phillips/Stilgoe/Webber
Genre: F/M, Multi, this is incredibly self indulgent and will interest no one aside from myself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:41:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25873051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oscarsings/pseuds/Oscarsings
Summary: I don't really no how to summarize this, but the gist is that this is an au based on the movie Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart and it's incredibly self indulgent I don't really expect much of a response but if anyone happens to enjoy it.Rusty, outfitted with a mechanical heart in place of his firebox after a tragic accident in the snow, lives under three rules. One of which prevents him from falling in love, unless he'd be happy with allowing his heart to burst from such powerful emotions. Of course, as these stories usually go, after a chance meeting with a lovely dining car, he suddenly finds himself wondering if the risks of silencing his ticking heart forever would be worth being able to be with her, even for only one kiss.
Relationships: Dinah/Greaseball (Starlight Express), Dinah/Rusty (Starlight Express), big warning bc dinah n greaseball's relationship is show accurate
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

To an outside eye, the snow falling over the town with frost dusting every darkened window would appear to be a scene pulled straight out of a painting. And to those who were bundled up warm in their homes next to the fireplaces with the ones they loved, it was almost as if they were living in a snowglobe. But to the little steam engine who’d been forced to trek through unending days of blistering winds and ankle deep layers of snow, it was more like being in hell after it had frozen over. Weeks had gone by without a trace of the sun, and every day as the snow fell, the temperature came with it till it was too cold for even the animals to withstand. No one with any common sense would be out in such a blizzard, but Rusty had no other choice. He’d traveled too far to give up now. Not to mention the fact that giving up now would mean that he’d certainly die, either from the cold or from the injuries he’d sustained on his journey.

With any luck, such torture would be worth it for his destination, a seemingly abandoned old freight yard overlooking a cliff on the edge of town. Some said the place was cursed, some said it was haunted. But the one undisputed fact that everyone knew was that it was the residence of an old worn down sleeper coach with a reputation of insanity. Depending on who you asked she was either a miracle worker, or a madwoman. A savior to those who’d been written off as lost causes by repair trucks, or a batty old coach with heroic delusions of grandeur. 

For his own sake, Rusty hoped she was the first one because at the moment the engine was on his last leg. After braving such a horrible storm unprotected his wheels had gone numb, his breath had turned to frost, and the flame in his fire box had been reduced to nothing more than a smoldering ember. It must have been divine intervention that kept the flame strong enough to allow Rusty to keep going; divine intervention as well as a will to not fall victim to the elements and become some sort of morbid metal statue. 

“ _ Just a little further _ ” The steamer reminded himself for about the thousandth time during this trip. Except this time, it was true. Rusty had first started telling himself that before he’d even arrived in town, now he had passed through the gates of the yard and could see the light in what one could only assume was Belle’s window.

“ _ It’s right there, I just have to push a little further _ ”

* * *

The little steamer couldn’t even recall how far he had made it into the yard before the world had gone black. In fact, Rusty didn’t recall blacking out at all. One minute he was still out in the blistering cold, and then the next he was being roused from sleep thanks to the stinging pain the warmth of the crackling fire was inflicting on his near frostbitten ears. That, as well as the clicking of metal being fiddled with and the faint sound of whistling.

Thankfully his head was fine enough to register that there must be someone in the room, unfortunately the poor thing’s vision wasn't nearly as clear. Thanks to the weeks of winds freezing tears against his eyes before they could escape, his sight had completely blurred. The only things that Rusty could identify were vague shapes and a moving figure in the corner of the room where the sounds were coming from. 

“Yknow you’re pretty lucky, if it hadn’t been for the sound your chimney made after you collapsed outside my door, I wouldn’t have found you till spring.” 

That was a tad startling to hear since Rusty wasn’t aware the mysterious figure knew he was awake yet. Although speaking was a tad difficult, he managed to whimper out, “P-Pardon me?” as a response.

“I said you’re lucky I found you,” the stranger explained, now turning to face him. “Everything aside from that silly hat of yours was completely covered with ice and snow, if my eyes were just a little worse I coulda written you off as a frosty piece of scrap metal that flew off of one of the piles.”

The words were being said, but they still weren’t quite reaching Rusty’s aching head. Something about not finding him, oh well hopefully it wasn’t too important. Might as well move on from the topic entirely.

“Ma’am, are you Belle?” 

“Mhm, that’s what they all call me at least.” The sleeper explained as she skated back over with whatever part she’d been tinkering with. 

“Then, what’s your real name?”

“Hm? No no it’s Belle, that’s why everyone calls me it.” 

“Oh…” Looking back on that moment Rusty would feel embarrassed about the question, but for now he was just too tired to care about something so insignificant. However he could care about the fact she had him laid up on a table with his firebox open and no tangible flame going inside. Now getting used to being inside, he was able to watch as the collection of sprockets were being inserted into his chest where the fire would have been. “What are you doing in there..?”

“Saving your life, that’s what.” Belle picked another couple parts from the counter beside the table. “That  _ is _ why you’re here after all, right?”

“Well, yes.” Ah, it was all coming back now. Hearing rumors about this coach, the journey here, his wheels giving out just before he could come knock on the door. Well… those last two things weren’t exactly vivid memories. “My Poppa told me that you fix steam engines like me, apparently there aren’t many around who do anymore.”

Once again the sleeper gave him a nod, tightening some screws in as she did, “Your Poppa is a very smart man then. Far as I know I’m the last one left in Edinburgh who knows how to.”

“Far as I know you’re the last one in more places than just Edinburgh.” Rusty corrected, a sad twinge to his tone. “I had to travel for weeks to get here.” 

“Really? Where’d you come from?”

Rusty paused, “I don’t... know.”

“You don’t know?” Belle repeated. 

Poor thing just nodded in response. “I remember that.. Poppa couldn’t come, he isn’t strong enough. I remember hearing about you from him, but.. I don’t remember much beyond that. Suppose it had to have been a long way.”

The sleeper looked at him, then back down at what she was doing. “I had to bandage up your head, maybe you can’t remember because of that. I’m sure it’ll all come back to you after you get better.”

“But ma’am… suppose it doesn’t come back?”

She paused again, but then just went back to work, “Never you mind that now, one problem at a time.” 

The problem at hand, Rusty assumed, was the lack of a fire in his chest. It felt strange to not have that flame in his heart, and if he thought about it just a little more he’d wonder how it was even possible to be alive at the moment. Instead of flickering coals and warm embers, he could feel the hard cogs and sprockets that Belle had fixed in place. 

Then in a moment, there was a sudden click when Belle turned something into its place and the engine froze. Suddenly his joints were locked in place, as if he’d been intentionally stopped in time. “Ma’am I can’t move!”

The panicked sound in his voice startled her, especially since she knew he wasn’t in any danger at that moment. “It’s okay! That’s what’s supposed to be happening, it’s alright.” She patted his little head with a comforting smile spreading across her face, “I promise, you can trust me.”

The look and touch from her were comforting, almost motherly to the little steamer. For the first time in weeks Rusty felt safe, and he couldn’t help but smile a little from the feeling. She _ had _ saved his life after all, so what right did he have to not trust her?

Once Belle knew he was calmed down, she straightened up and returned over to the other table where her trinkets were. “Once I pick out a good sturdy replacement for your heart and have everything in place you’ll be good as new. Save for a few twitches and ticks here and there.

Of course that also means you won’t be able to travel back in this storm any time soon,” the sleeper muttered while observing the various things laid out on the table, trying to decide what would fit best, “and someone will need to keep an eye on you till everything is strong enough to run on it’s own. But like I said before, one problem at a time. Now I just need… ah ha!” She reached over the table, over the various parts and pieces to instead grab- the clock that was on the wall. 

“This will fit nicely for you, right in place in your firebox.”


	2. Oh Belle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For context because I don't know how to make it clear, Rusty is a child and he's growing up through the story. He'd be around 10 in human years I guess?

As one might guess, Belle’s decision to live so far and isolated from town was intentional. And, as proved time and time again, it was quite a smart decision at that. The old sleeper car was never exactly held highly in the public’s eye, to the point that if you lived in the town you either had a personal reason to hate her or had heard a horror story of a rumor that made you hate her. The folks who lived in Edinburgh weren’t exactly  _ happy  _ about a sleeper coming to set her roots, and _ business _ , in their otherwise quiet town. But shockingly that wasn’t what caused her to leave. No, she could deal with nasty words and getting thrown out of depots, but what she couldn’t deal with was when the locals began interfering with her  _ other  _ business. 

That other business earned her a reputation as a witch doctor.

Of course, the old sleeper would be the first to say that witches of those types do not exist in anything aside from books, but that didn’t keep anyone from believing it with all their horrible hearts. Using strange and often frowned upon methods to cure or save the terminal rolling stock that came to her for help, creating special chemical mixtures to help with everyday ailments like sadness or aching joints, taking in outcasts and misfits as if they were her own, to the town that wasn’t normal. That was the only claim the locals ever made that Belle agreed with. None of her practices were normal by any means, but that didn’t make them bad or dangerous in the slightest. In fact, to those she helped, it made her an angel.

Quite a literal one at that for those residents who came to stay permanently at her yard. There were the triplets who’d each come in with a need for a prosthetic, a brick truck who’s back had cracked from the weight of his cargo, a tender who’d developed a terrible case of blackened lungs from his years of work,

And a young steam engine, who’s frozen heart within his firebox had been replaced with a cuckoo clock. 

But unlike the others, that little steamer was more of a secret to the world than any of Belle’s oddities. He was a fragile piece of work, that’s what she always said at least. That’s why she kept him so well hidden, and never let him beyond the walls of her freightyard. Of course he wasn’t without responsibility, it was Rusty’s job to wake everyone for work everyday, to summon the others to Belle’s shed when they tried to elude her check up calls. But even though he wasn’t without purpose or stimulation, that didn’t keep him from getting antsy from always being confined to the yard. 

* * *

“I just don’t get it,” Rusty asked one day while watching the rockies leave to go back to their posts in town after a check, “all the others leave every day, why can’t I too?”

It was a question that he’d asked many times before, but the only answers he’d ever received were vague and indirect. Being the sweet thing he was, Rusty could see how uncomfortable the topic made his caretaker so he never pursued it further. But after years of uncertainty, Belle decided to tell him the truth.

“Do you recall how difficult it was to find someone who could repair you?” She asked without looking up from the tools she had been cleaning. “How far y’ had to come to find me?”

“Of course” 

“Well that’s it, because there aren’t a lotta folks who still know how to fix steamers. Most of the town it’s all diesels, and well,” she finished cleaning the tools, and took a seat in her examination chair with a huff of relief to be off her feet. “diesels aren’t too kind to steamers nowadays.”

Poor little Rusty, he just didn’t quite get what she meant. “But I haven’t done anything wrong, why wouldn’t they be kind to me?”

“It’s just the way it is down in town.” Belle gazed back out the window, recalling what it had been like to live in Edinburgh. “You know that’s why I live out here too.”

“Because they didn’t like you fixing all of us right?”

She smiled a sad smile, her gaze turning up to the smog covered sky. “Right. Down there all they care about is progress, getting the work that needs to be done done, no matter the cost. It’s why the sun ain’t ever out here, too much of their nasty diesel smoke and oil clogging up the air, and why I’m the only one who knows how to do repairs beyond little patchwork things like most of the actual repair trucks down there. Steamers like you, they just require too much upkeep for their liking. So if you came around town a lot, I don’t imagine it’d go over well.” 

Belle took a little pause to look over at him now, and oh hearing all of that seemed to just it seemed to just crush the poor little engine’s soul. But.. it was the truth and he needed to hear it.

“That’s…” Rusty stumbled trying to find the words, searching his mind for the right words to say. “That’s.. awful...but, that’s not for certain!” 

The poor thing, he just... didn’t seem to get it. Belle sighed again, and turned to face him much more seriously, “Rusty it’s not an argument-”

“No just listen!” He spoke up much louder, much to Belle’s surprise. “I know you know more about this than me, but maybe it wouldn’t be as horrible as you’d say it would! I don’t even need to stay in town forever, just go out every once in a while! Even if it wouldn’t be perfect, I just don’t want to stay locked up here forever!”

As protective as Belle always was, her need for Rusty to be happy was stronger. And looking into his determined, hopeful eyes, she couldn’t bear to say another word that would diminish his spirit. “Tell you what, in a few years after your heart is stronger, I’ll let you run some errands for me. Would that be good enough for you?” 

You would have thought that she’d just said he’d won the lottery, everything about Rusty just became visibly overjoyed from the glint in his eyes to the spin of the hands in his heart, “Oh Belle, Belle do you really mean it?”

“Yes of course I do, have I ever l-”

Before she could finish the sentence, Rusty had leapt out of the chair he’d been sitting in and skated so fast over to wrap his arms around her that he left little traces of skid marks in the wooden floor. “Thank you thank you thank you! I promise whatever errand you ask from me I’ll do it in a heartbeat!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know why archive decided to make it seem like this was the last chapter, it’s not  
> ps dinah next chapter but also greaseball so ew


	3. A Cautionary Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I thought Dinah was gonna be in this chapter but I miscalculated

With every passing year, Rusty grew more anxious to venture beyond the walls of the freight yard. And the more anxious he became, the more fearful Belle grew. He was such a fragile thing after all, and even though his clock was some of the sleeper’s finest work, it still was unstable. The slightest perk of rage could send him into a smoking fit, and too much excitement made the hands spin dangerously fast. At least in the yard Belle knew she could somewhat oversee what happened, keep the other freights from picking on him too badly or keep the situation mellowed. How could she keep him safe if he was out in the world all on his own?

Of course no matter how many times she told him that, or how many well placed frightening words she passed off, Rusty never lost hope that he’d be able to go out and see what lay in that massive town at the bottom of the hill. Every time the sleeper said no, she was promptly reminded of that promise she’d made all those years ago. Unfortunately along with becoming more restless, the little steamer was becoming more discouraged by the idea that she might never uphold her word. 

And as much as Belle worried about him being out in the world, the idea of disappointing him was worse. 

“Tomorrow, we can go tomorrow.”

It was an impulsive thing to say, one night she just blurted it out over supper. After many long weeks of sleepless nights and internal conflict, she’d finally decided that Rusty was strong enough to go out. That, and that her own heart wasn’t strong enough to bear saying no to him another year. 

At first the little steamer didn’t believe his ears, but once he realized that she wasn’t joking, his face lit up like a tree at christmas. “You mean it? I can really go out?!”

Belle straightened up and fixed her sunglasses, “Mhm. You can go out  _ tomorrow with me. _ But-” She was cut off a moment when Rusty tried to explode with his usual excited rambling, but she held up her hand to prevent him from going off. “ **_But_ ** , you’ve gotta stay beside me the whole time, if other engines try coming up to us you don’t say a word, and you can’t complain if we have to come back early. Understood?”

Rusty nodded so quickly Belle feared he would give himself whiplash, “Understood! I promise I understand! I’ll stay right by your side the whole time!” He practically shot out of the chair intent on speeding back to his room. As he left the room he called back, “I’ll clean up tonight and be ready for tomorrow! Oh thank you Belle, thank you so much!”

* * *

Starlight, with how purely happy her little steamer was the night before and the morning of their little outing, Belle couldn’t possibly take back her word now. No matter how desperately she wanted to, she couldn’t put out Rusty’s spark now. Of course it wasn’t all fun and games, after their chat that evening she had to sit the little steamer down and make sure he understood what was expected of him once again; what the rules of the town were, how they were different than being in the yard, the like. Things such as how he couldn’t just go up to random rolling stock and start saying hello, or that he couldn’t expect everyone he saw to be as well mannered as he was. 

On the one hand, it made Belle proud to know how well she’d done at raising such a kind soul, but on the other hand she was terrified of what might happen if that kindness wasn’t returned by strangers. Of course he’d learn to take being picked on by the freights, but even then it was simple teasing and they knew when it was time to stop. Most in town wouldn’t be so merciful.

* * *

“Did you wind your clock?” Belle asked as she finished painting on her lipstick.

“Yes! I told you I did!” Rusty whined from the kitchen table. He’d been waiting for what felt like forever for his mum to finish getting ready, not noticing that she was intentionally taking much longer than usual to get her hair in order.

“And you have your key?” She asked once again, pretentiously fixing her braids into just the right spot.

“ _ Yes _ I always have it!” 

“And your wheels are oiled?”

The steamer frowned just a tad, “You know they are, you watched me do it!” He began counting the list off on his fingers, “I wound my clock, I have my key, I painted my face, oiled my wheels, ate my breakfast, I did it all! I’m ready to leave!”

“I know you are!” She snapped and turned around in her seat to look at him. That was probably the first time she’d snapped at him since he was much littler, which is why Rusty finally realized to stop pushing, and gave Belle the warning that she needed to calm down. The sleeper took a moment to take a breath, and then another to smooth her hair back into place before saying anything else. “I know you are, I just don’t know if I am.”   
Belle stood, then skated over to sit beside him, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Rusty, you’ve gotta understand how scared I am about you leavin’. Here, here I can make sure that everyone is careful around you and your clock. And I can make sure you’re safe, and I can make sure no one hurts you. But out in town I can’t do that, anything could happen! You’re so fragile, the slightest wrong hit could stop your heart!” By now she’d gotten a pained look on her face, and her lips had been pulled into a frown. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

Rusty just stayed quiet, he did understand what she meant, but he remained silent. Over the years he’d spent with Belle, he had learned it was best to stay quiet in these sorts of moments. It always took some time for her to sort things out in her head, saying anything would just cloud her mind further.

“But…. I can’t keep you here forever can I? That wouldn’t be fair to you.” The sleeper finally admitted out loud and to herself. And after that, she smiled at him again. “Which is why we’re going to town today.”


	4. Flames with Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since I updated, this chapter is longer and took more time to finish. Plus COVID has really gotten me down on motivation.

Edinburgh once had been a bright, lively town full of progress and innovation. Or... at least that’s what Belle claimed. Given how it looked now, Rusty couldn’t believe that in the slightest. No matter what he was excited to go, but that didn’t smudge the fact that the skyline of the various buildings and factories covering the horizon painted such a bleak picture of the world.

“Remember, stay close to me the entire time, don’t get outta my sight.”  
The entire ride down from the hill to the town had been filled with Belle rambling off rules about how things would go when they got to town. But when that proved not to be a long enough walk to cover it all again, she’d forced him to stop right outside the gates.  
“Stay beside you, got it!” He parroted back, sitting beside the door anxiously waiting. “If we get separated I’m supposed to stay where I last saw you, don’t get caught in the rain, don’t talk to the bigger engines, yadda yadda yadda, can we go now?”  
“Nope, there’s still something else we need to talk about.” The sleeper looked down at him. “It’s about that heart of yours.”  
Hearing her say that just made Rusty groan, “No we don’t, I know everything! Don’t play with the hands or sprockets and keep my temper under control. I’ve been able to take care of my clock myself for a long time!”  
“Don’t get smart with me Rusty.” She snapped. Oh yikes, the only times Belle said his name like that were when he really needed to listen. “This is serious. It’s something I haven’t mentioned before because- well I just didn’t think it’d be an issue, but just in case I decided I need to tell you.”  
“Tell me what?”

If she had more time to think about it, perhaps Belle would have done things differently all those years before when installing Rusty’s mechanical heart. As they say though, hindsight is 20/20. Given the severity of the situation at the time, it was more important that the heart work well enough to substitute his doused fire rather than accommodate for less imperative things. The downside of that decision was that Rusty was more fragile than any other engine in more ways than just physical. It was also why she’d made the other freights handle him with cotton gloves, and why she’d so desperately tried to keep him from coming around others.  
The fragility in question was a matter of emotions.

“Love,” Belle muttered, taking a drink from the flask she always carried on trips out. It was as if the word itself had left a bad taste on her tongue that needed to be sterilized with alcohol. “It’d be like arsenic to you.”  
“I love you though, so how could it be so dangerous?”  
She sighed, “I love you too, but this is different. I’m not talking about how we lovin’ someone like you and I do. I’m talking about passion, romance, crushes, gross poems n’ flushed faces, all those things that makes people just lose their heads.”  
By that point Rusty wasn’t taking her warnings seriously. Or more accurately he wasn’t worried about them. “But I don’t know anything about that sort of thing, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”  
“That’s exactly why I’m worried about you.” Belle lamented. “For someone like you, kind as you are, it could just strike like lightning. Wouldn’t even see it coming, then next thing you know you’re getting your lips brushed and boom! You’d be out like a light, dead before you’d hit the floor!” By the end of her rant she’d talked so quickly that her breath had gone completely. Rusty even needed to hold her arm out of fear her legs may buckle.  
Even though he could tell how much this worried his mother, the steamer just couldn’t bring himself to really take it to heart. “I know you’re worried, but I promised to listen to you and stay on the tracks beside you, so how would I even get a chance to feel anything like that?” He assured, adding a smile in to pad the comfort. “I’ll be safe Belle, really.”  
There was a moment of pause, and then the sleeper just blew out a long sigh that melted into a smile. “You know you could be a politician with how persuasive you and those puppy dog eyes of yours are.”  
With a pat of his back, and a nod of her head, they both knew the lecture had come to an end and they could continue on with their errands.

Entering the town was like walking straight into wonderland. A very grey, industrial, smoggy wonderland, but wonderland nonetheless. Rusty marveled at everything. The massive buildings that towered overhead, beautiful mechanical clocks on each corner, shiny new parts and plating in shop windows, and that was only the scenery! In all his years alive he’d never seen so many people in one place before, and they all looked so different; large diesel engines pulling their freight teams, baggage coaches accompanying passenger cars, shockingly healthy looking coal tenders receiving their cargo-  
For a split second Belle mistook the expression on his face as him being overwhelmed, but Rusty soon corrected that perception by letting a wide smile practically crack his cheeks.  
“This is wonderful! Oh please I want to see where we’re going next!”  
“Be patient sprocket, it’s gonna take a while to get there at this hour.” She explained while leading her little steamer down the track. “Everyone’s getting back from cross town jobs or coming here on their breaks to pick up things.”  
“Like us, right?” Rusty was listening of course, but his mind was completely distracted as his eyes searched through the structures and strangers.  
“Exactly like us. Cept we make our own breaks.” Belle laughed at her own joke quietly, which turned into a cough soon after. Damn the town’s smoke.  
It may have been frustrating to everyone else on the streets about how busy it was, but for the two it was perfect. Since they went slower, Belle could keep an eye on him; since there were so many people and things going on, Rusty could just take all of the new sights in. Through the labyrinth of tracks, structures, stores, corners, they made their way to the marketplace.

“I won’t be long here, you can look around if you’d like but you have to stay-“  
“-stay by your side.” Rusty finished. There were vendors and stands as far as the eye could see with about every sort of thing being sold. Vegetables, unique repair parts, body paint, makeup. He wanted to look at them all- but then a sudden sound caught his ear. “Do you hear that?”  
Belle glanced up from looking at one of the fruit stands. “Hear what?”  
“I’m not sure… it’s very pretty but.. Very sad” He listened a bit more intently.  
The sleeper didn’t pay much mind to it, “Perhaps it's the calliope’s song you’re hearing. There’s a player down the street not too far.”  
“I suppose..” Rusty trailed off. He knew for certain that wasn’t what the sound belonged to, and curiosity was beginning to nag at his mind…  
After a little while more of looking, Belle smiled to herself. “How does winter soup sound for dinner sprocket?”  
...Rusty didn’t reply, so she looked and- he had completely disappeared from her side.  
“Rusty? Where did you go??”

* * *

Belle had been half right, the sound was almost like sad music to Rusty’s ears. The closer he got, the more he began to realize that the sounds weren’t music at all, it was someone crying. It drew him in from the need to find out who the sounds belonged to and what was causing them. He’d only heard Belle ever cry before, or on occasion the actors on the radio- but this was so much different. Belle only wept when she was thinking about the past, the actors were terrible at faking tears, but this? There was so much… sorrow. So much pain and resentment, so much emotion, Rusty just knew if he was feeling whatever this person was feeling, it would surely be the death of him.  
Eventually after winding through the tall buildings, the track opened up into some sort of social roundhouse. The light was just barely able to cut through the smog in this area in such a way that it perfectly illuminated the golden curls and serene blue dress of the coach that had caught his attention. Even in such a state, she just absolutely took the little engine’s breath away.  
“Excuse me, ma’am?”  
Apparently this stranger hadn’t heard Rusty approach at all, she practically jumped right out of her skin. “Goodness-! What do you think you’re doin’ sneakin’ up on me like that?”  
Her reaction startled Rusty as well, causing his heart to tick and give him quite a jolt. “Sneaking up on you? No! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just didn’t want to disturb you.”  
“Well you disturbed me anyway.” She sniffled again and wiped her eyes, glancing at him a bit confused. Getting an actual look at Rusty was pretty worrying after all to someone who’d never seen something like him before. “My word, did you get caught in the rain?”  
“What? Oh,” Rusty shook his head, “I’m just a little weathered around the edges. Ms. Belle says it’s nothing to be worried about, I just need to be careful and avoid staying still too long.”  
“But ah, that’s not important!” He sat beside her, “Why are you crying?”  
The coach whimpered at the question, wiping at her smeared makeup. “You don’t have to make fun of me you know, plenty of other gals around here to laugh at.”  
“But I’m not laughing! I really want to know, you just sounded so sad I.. figured you might not want to be alone.”  
She glanced over, “Really?”  
“Really really” Rusty paused, then stuttered while digging in his bag, “Wait, I’m so sorry! I’m being so impolite, do you need a handkerchief? Your makeup’s gonna st-” In the little frantic rush to remember Belle’s advice, the breaks on his wheels let up and one of his feet shot right out from under him. Up went his foot, and down went his firebox smack onto the brick stairs. “-Ah shoot!” The fall didn’t hurt, but it did look very silly.  
Because of that, the coach made the most lovely sound he’d ever heard. The woefulness ceased, and she burst out in laughter. It sounded like bells, or maybe a chorus of flutes. Her face was flush with glee, and the smile on her lips was enchanting. “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry, are you okay sugar?”  
“Yes! I’m okay, really lost my balance there huh?”  
“To say the least!” She held out her hand, offering to help. “Do you fall like that a lot?”  
Rusty laughed a little again and shook his head, “Not really, I guess I just got a little flustered.”  
“Flustered?” She tilted her head, “From what?”  
“You!”  
The coach’s cheeks flushed, “Me?”  
“Yes, oh I don’t know but when I saw you I just wanted to make whatever was wrong better! You don’t seem like you deserve to be upset about anything.” He babbled on, not appearing to understand that most engines wouldn’t just blurt something that sweet out for no reason.  
She shook her head, boinging one of the golden curls that Rusty had been so enamored by. “Now I’m sure you’re makin’ funna me…”  
“On my poppa’s grave I’m not!” he said while crossing his heart. “I can’t imagine wanting to make fun of someone, especially when they’re sad.”  
The coach just looked at him, trying to figure out what the catch was with this darling little steamer. Kind, perfectly polite, adorable… her happy demeanor deflated at the thought. “Yknow most engines ‘round here aren’t nearly as sweet as you are. That’s… why I was cryin’. ‘Round here they’re all so stuffy n’ self absorbed, pig headed, mean spirited… the list goes on.”  
Rusty just listened, frowning from the tale. “That’s what Belle warned me about, she said I’d sooner get the life squeezed outta me than fit in with them.”  
“T’ say the least.” She blew out a sad sigh, “What’s a tiny little shunter like you doin’ here anyway? This’ an industrial town mostly.”  
“Just visiting! I live.. Nearby, never been here before though.”  
Shrugging, the coach just chuckled. “You haven’t been missin’ out on much..”  
He blinked. “Well, I’ve been missing out on you haven’t I?”  
There was a moment of a pause, once again she was stunned by Rusty’s sweetness. Another smile settled on her rosey lips, and the light around her seemed to beam just a bit more. “I think you’re the nicest engine I’ve ever met.”  
You would have thought the sweet little coach had just struck him straight through his mechanical heart. It started ticking quicker, and steam plumed from his firebox. “Really?”  
“Yes, really.” She wanted to say more, but a raindrop that fell on her nose proved to be quite distracting. “Do you hear that pitter patter sound?”  
A few more drops fell, but Rusty didn’t even mind. Belle’s warnings about the rain seemed to move further away with each loud tick of his clock. “It’s.. just the rain I think. Do you like the rain?”  
“Oh no,” Shaking her head, she smiled just a bit more. “Well, actually I do like the sound. Never enjoyed getting wet much though.”  
“That’s how I always feel.” Actually, he’d never felt like this before. Not in dry weather nor in rain. If there was a word for it, it wasn’t in Rusty’s dictionary. It felt like flying, or as if a flame had been sparked in his firebox for the first time since he was a little tyke. Hm. Come to think of it, the air was starting to smell like there was a fire in there too-  
To the point that the coach seemed to take notice too. “Do you smell something burning?”  
“Burning? No, no! No burning.” Rusty stood up, turning away with a laugh as he opened the door to the heart enough to see and- yep. Yep it was smoking, spinning rather quickly too. Oh dear…

“Dinah! Where are you?”

The sudden yelling call for her- Dinah, startled the both of them. A good and bad thing because the jolt apparently knocked whatever was throwing his heart out of whack back into place enough that it stopped turning so fast. Didn’t stop smoking though.  
“Dinah we gotta leave soon c’mon!”  
The dining car whimpered just a bit, then cleared her throat to speak up. “I-I’m coming! I’m coming don’t worry!”  
She mumbled cursed to herself as she stood up, brushing the rubble from the rocks off that blue skirt. “Oh jeez I lost track’a time again...”  
“Dinah move it!”  
“I am!” She yelled back again, then looked back at Rusty. “I’d love to stay longer, really. But I need to go, I’ve got places to be.”  
Things clicked into place for a moment. “Wait, is that your engine calling you? The one you talked about?”  
“Yeah but, it’s okay. Really it is I just gotta toughen up a bit.” She wiped her eye just to make sure the tears didn’t water down her makeup. It was only then that Rusty really saw what lovely eyes this coach had. No no not this coach, the other engine had said what her name was. What had he said?  
Despite apparently needing to leave so bad, whoever-she-was’ wheels stayed plastered to the floor. She- Dinah reached out and took Rusty’s hand in hers so tenderly that he could feel a spring pop out of place in his clock.  
“If you ever wanna say hi again, I work at the union station depot.” Her hand squeezed his ever so faintly. “Promise me you’ll come and see me?”  
“Dinah!”  
“Dinah-” The pain in his chest was almost unbearable, but the thought of disappointing her was worse. “-I promise, I’ll come see you.”  
All the anxiety just seemed to drain from Dinah’s rosey cheeks hearing that. “Thank you.”  
Then it happened. Just before her hands separated from his, she leaned in and kissed Rusty’s cheek gently. Suddenly the pain in the clock sparked so sharply that he understood this was what Belle meant when she had compared love to getting struck by lightning. Actually, the steamer wasn’t entirely certain that he hadn’t been struck by lightning with how bad it was. All he was sure of was that he was glad Dinah had turned and sped off as fast as she had.  
Rusty wouldn’t have forgiven himself if she had to see him die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, Rusty didn't die I promise just wait for the next chapter


	5. Unwanted Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey look he's not dead

“How could you do that to me?!” Belle scolded, punctuating her stress by tightening in one of the screws just a  _ bit _ tighter than it needed to be. “Do you know what could have happened? Just look at this mess! I’m not even sure how fast your cogs must have been going in order to catch fire like that! I have half a mind to-”

As Belle had been reminding him over and over again for the last hour and a half, had she not found Rusty the moment he’d hit the ground. Had she not, there was a very good chance that the sparks in the little steamer’s heart would have led to a much bigger- more  _ tragic _ fire. Thankfully though, by some miracle, it only damaged a few of the inner springs and the little cuckoo bird that was trapped in Rusty’s chest. 

“-it’s bad enough that you ran away from me! But to run off to some coach and let her kiss you!”

“It wasn’t a kiss!” Rusty protested, wincing from the pain of another cog being clicked back in place. “I mean, not a proper one! Just a peck on the cheek! I didn’t think-”

“You’re right, you didn’t think! If it had been a ‘proper’ one you’d be dead! That’s all it takes Rusty! That’s how fragile your heart is, I should know I was the one who made it! Look at the damage she did after just one little conversation! If it had gone just a bit further or on for just a bit longer you’d just be another marker on my hill, dead as a doorstop as if I’d never fixed you in the first place!” Belle had all but lost her breath at that point, which apparently only needed to be repaired by a quick sip of her odd liquor. “What business did you have kissing some strange coach anyway?”

“I didn’t kiss her, she kissed me.” Rusty defended again, though it really didn’t matter. “She was crying! I just wanted to cheer her up.”

Belle scoffed at that. “If that’s your reaction to a crying coach then I should just bolt your wheels to the ground, there’s dozens of them in town on practically every corner.”

Hearing that, Rusty just let out a frustrated puff of steam and dropped his head back onto the bed. He knew there was no reasoning with the sleeper at that point, if it had been any other situation she would have applauded him for trying to help a stranger. Of course her anger was warranted, and he probably should have been taking his quite literal brush with death more seriously… but in all honesty Rusty’s mind was far from there. Far from Belle, or his heart, or even the house on the hill. It was back down in the city, winding its way through and trying to find that lovely soft smile, those rosy cheeks, her curly southern blonde hair… 

“ _ Starlight!” _ Belle exclaimed as his cogs pinched her fingers. It had sped up the longer his mind wandered, who would have thought. “Stop thinking about her!”

The color in the steamer’s cheeks turned to a much richer shade of sepia at the command. “I wasn’t!”

“I’ve worked on your heart for the last eight years and the only times I’ve seen it spin this fast has been today.” She reminded rather coldly. “Eight years and you were ready to throw my hard work away.”

That comment did sting just a bit. She was only being like this because she had been scared, but the implication that he could really intentionally be so careless was a hard hitter. “I never wanted to hurt your work, you know that.”

Belle sighed. “You know that isn’ what I meant. I just can’t- I don’t know what I’d do if you-” She trailed off, leaving them both in a tense silence for just a second while she collected the words.   
“Do you know why I work so hard to keep your heart pumping? It’s not because I’m proud of it, it’s because I care about you. You’re the son I could never have, the one I always wanted. I don’t think I could bear it if you left me.”

Curiosity getting the best of him, Rusty couldn’t help but venture. “Why couldn’t you have a son before me?” 

The change in topic actually wasn’t too bad, in fact Belle seemed to soften. “Oh there wasn’t any one reason. Just time getting the best of me I suppose, I could never settle down long enough that I would need to. Too busy with helping the others.” A faint smile creased her lips. “Then when I’d finally given up on the idea, you turned up like some frozen little consolation prize. I’ve been happy being your mother ever since.” 

Aw… “I’m happy you’re my mother too.”

“Even if being your mother makes me have a heart attack every time your cuckoo runs a few minutes slow.” She huffed, blowing one of her braids back behind her head in the process. The conversation concluded as the final piece clicked in its place. As it clicked, so did return Belle’s stern demeanor. “There, now don’t you think about getting up the rest of the day. You’re on bedrest till further notice.”

There wasn’t much to say, so Rusty just nodded while locking his firebox. “Yes’m”

“If you need something ring the bell, otherwise I expect you either asleep or starin’ at the ceiling.” There was a hint of a joke to that, she had yet to get upset at him for reading and there were plenty of books within bedside’s reach. She did skate out of the room, but before shutting the door she once again warned,“And don’t you dare think about that coach, I don’t want to have to fix you again.”

“Yes’m” He repeated, curling up under the covers to prepare for his long cozy prison sentence. 

The door clicked shut, and Rusty was left alone in a rather comfortable silence. Aside of course from his clock ticking away once again. Listening to Belle’s first orders of ‘staying in bed’ would be easy, but not thinking about Dinah was another thing entirely. 

“Dinah…” He mumbled quietly. Oh even the sound of her name made him flutter. There had to be some way to get back to town without Belle knowing, Rusty just wanted- no  _ needed _ to keep his promise and see her again. She just seemed so happy about the notion-! And it would be just devastating to disappoint her after how sad she had been that day. It wasn’t fair, such a lovely friendly coach being so hurt. 

As Rusty laid there and let thoughts run wild, his eyes drifted around the room til they landed on

_ “Rustyy! Rusty Rusty Rusty!” _

Somehow, the other residents of Belle’s yard just always seemed to know when to ruin a peaceful mood. Sure their rackousness was annoying, but life in the sanctuary would have been so much duller had they not lived there. 

The Rockies were the first ones to burst through the door, followed by Flat Top and Dustin. It was really amazing that they could all cram into Rusty’s little room, yet somehow every time they succeeded. 

Belle always said that growing up around (and in) the little family of misfits had given the little steamer “a rather kind eye”. Whenever she remarked on that Rusty didn’t really understand, but then she would just point out that it was because of said eye. 

“Alright you’ve got some explaining to do champ” 

“You guys got in here so quick we didn’t get a chance to say hi!”

“Or tell us what happened down in town”

The Rockies each had a different limb missing, One lost his right leg, Two his left arm, and Three his left leg. They each had a couple of fingers missing too, but that wasn’t because of the accident that had caused them to need to come to Belle, that was just because they didn’t have enough brains between the three of them to make up enough common sense. 

“All we know is that you was smokin’ like a chimney and Ms. Belle was angrier than a beehive.”

Then there was Flat-Top, who’d been left for dead on the side of the track. The story goes that the cargo on his back proved to be heavier than his old rusted spine could take, and years of hauling bricks finally took their toll. None of them could figure out how the brick truck managed to find his way up to their hill, but when Flat Top finally did crawl up his back was nearly broken in half. Out of everyone in the yard he was the closest to being Belle’s adversary thanks to his stubbornness and pride. Not to mention how stir crazy he became since she didn’t let him make long trips anymore.

“We thought you’d died!” 

And Dustin, the heart of their family. Poor thing cared too much for his own good, which is how he got such blackened lungs from the coal he used to carry. It wasn’t uncommon for tenders like him to have poor health, Dustin had caught the worst of it. He never used to let his engine leave town without him on the team, and almost inevitably the lack of attention to cleaning his lungs left him with a terrible case of emphysema. Belle had to replace one of his lungs entirely it had rotted so badly.

“No no, I promise I didn’t die” Rusty smiled weakly, his eyes practically dancing from the memory of the cause of his brush with death. “But if I had it would have been a perfect way to go!”

The group was used to their little brother talking nonsense, so all they could do was smile and listen.

“What coulda possibly made it so perfect?” Flat Top questioned with a slight grin on his lips. 

And just like that, it all came pouring out. About how Dinah had been weeping so much that her eyes had blurred, about how nice she’d been and about her situation, about how she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen-

The fantasy was interrupted by a sharp teasing punch to Rusty’s arm. “Sounds like our boy’s got it bad” Two looked up at his twins, “Have you ever seen him this goofy?”

“Nope” One shook his head, “He’s practically away with the pixies.”

“I haven’t either,” Three concluded. “Look at him he’s blushing!”

“I am not!” Rusty glanced in the bedside mirror and yeah they were right. His cheeks were so dark he was practically sunburnt. “Just knock it off! If you’d seen her you would be too. I bet there’s no one in the world who’s as wonderful as her.”

“Starlight, you’ve spent all of two minutes with her!” Flat-Top snapped.

“Ten actually”

“Ten or two, it doesn’t matter! You’re already ready to give her the key to your cuckoo just like that!”

Dustin seemed worried (but then again he always seemed worried), “It can’t be healthy. You almost caught fire after only seein’ her once!”

“But wouldn’t that just be a romantic way to go?” Rusty sighed dramatically. 

“Rubbish, Rusty what do you know about romance aside from Belle’s books?” The brick truck crossed his arms. “I thought you promised her you didn’t know anything about that!”

“That’s because I don’t.” He pointed out truthfully. It wasn’t a lie to say that romance wasn’t exactly his department, but so what if he’d read a book or two? “I’m not serious of course, I just got carried away today. When I see her next time-”

“Next time?!” The triplets echoed in tandem. Whoops, slip of the tongue.

“You can’t possibly be thinking about going down there again!” One frowned.

“And after Belle told you not to?” Three shook his head. “It could be the death of you! If not from your heart giving out then from her!”

The little steamer knew the others wouldn’t tell Belle about how starstruck he was, so defending his promise didn’t seem like an issue. “Maybe I am thinking about it! She seemed so upset, I can’t possibly disappoint her!”

“But you don’t even  _ know _ her.” Two added. 

“And Dinah doesn’t know me either, but she made me promise!” He asserted again. 

The group knew that as much as Rusty cared about all of them, when his mind was set on something there was no stopping it. Once he’d said his piece, they all just seemed to let out a collective sigh. 

“So you’re going, but have you thought about how you’d even get there?” 

“Um… no. But I know she’s going to be at the union station depot when I find her.”

“Union station?” Dustin passed a look to the others. “You can’t go there!”

Rusty frowned, “And why not?”

“That’s where we used to work.” Three rested a hand on his shoulder. “It’s the diesel’s station, they don’t take kindly to anyone who isn’t like them coming in.”

Well that certainly put a dent in the little steamer’s “plan”. But a dent had never stopped him before, it certainly wouldn’t stop him now.

“I don’t care, I’m going to figure out a way to see her again. Even if it means facing up to some diesels.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have much to say except sorry for the character building interspersed with plot, I didn't know how to introduce the rest of his family.  
> Also sorry for the weird formatting, I think something is wrong with my computer


	6. Unwanted Advice pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sorry this was supposed to go in the last chapter but I totally forgot about it. On the bright side the next chapter is gonna be pretty long because chapter 8 is an intermission.

“Absolutely not.”   
“Belle-!”  
“No!” She snapped and looked back at Rusty. The pleasant smell of pancakes wafting through the house that morning was entirely misleading about the day’s mood. 

After the previous week’s chat with his siblings (and the close call), the little steamer had made a plan to try and get down to Union Station just as he’d promised. It was all worked out; the rockies taught him how and where to pick up work nearby shunting trucks which would give him an excuse to visit Dinah. If he got in trouble he would just skate two blocks down where Flat Top worked and hide out till it was over. Top of all that he could get stronger by towing them all home. It was a solid plan- except for the fact Belle needed to agree to it. 

“How could you possibly be thinking about going back to town after getting that close to your heart stopping?” She was practically beating the batter for the next batch to distract herself from the stress of the conversation, “I was able to save you last time but if it happens again we might not be so lucky! And what if you happened to see that coach again? I can’t go follow you to town every day, you’d be a goner for certain!”  
“But I’ll never figure out how to really get a handle on the rules of my heart if I stay up here!” Rusty defended. “I’ll never get any stronger if I stay here the rest of my life.”  
“And you won’t get any stronger if your sprockets spring out of your chest either.”  
He whined and skated over beside her. “Please Belle? I could start small! Only work one day a week, and Flat Top works right down the road! He could keep an eye on me!”  
“But learning about how to keep your heart safe by being in the middle of a mindfield like a diesel station?” She looked down at him, the frustration finally melting away into only worry. “If they even bumped you just a bit too hard your clock could break. And what if they start making fun of you? There’s no way you’d be able to handle the emotions that come along with that.”

Rusty gave them both a moment, then rested his hand on hers. “If I promised I’d leave the moment things go bad, would you let me go then?”

Belle took in a breath, thought it over, then sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, her little steamer wasn’t wrong. His heart wouldn’t ever get stronger if it wasn’t allowed to adapt or endure, neither would her own. 

“Only if you promised.”   
“I know you’re scared but-” Rusty paused. “Did you say okay?”  
“Yes, I said okay as long as you promised you’d leave at the first sign of trouble.” He was near about exploding with excitement, but the pop of her flask’s cap signaled that he needed to wait till she was done talking, “And you’d make sure to let me do maintenance on your heart every night without complaining, only one day a week at first, just like you said. Or, maybe only half a day.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems rushed but that's how it was in the book and the movie so I didn't have much to work with


End file.
